Any devout follower of black metal should know the name of Leviathan, a project that has helped to give America a significant presence in the genre's international scene time and time again. After a four year absence, and dealing with a few of life's many curveballs, Jeff Whitehead is back on the music scene, assaulting our eardrums with a new album from his twisted offspring. Beware: things are about to get ominous, and there's no playing it safe here.

Let no one ever have to question the consistency of the Norsemen in Enslaved. From the icy black metal of their debut, right down to the more complex nature of their recent material, the band have garnered a well deserved reputation as mature and innovative songwriters. 2015's In Times is a slightly more accessible mark in their discography, one that, while good, also feels as though it could have gone a little bit deeper.

Formerly known as Trophallaxy, these Swiss players changed their name for the new record. Bury The Omen features symphonic metal, yes, but also a large death and melodeath quotient. It's really an interesting combo because sometimes one style is more clear and other times it's bundled into this sticky ball of genres-be-damned goo. Quite cool.

Feed Her To The Sharks's Fortitude is a solid metalcore record from a band bringing renewed passion to the genre. While the songs follow a simple formula, the band's driving rhythms and unstoppable energy set it apart. The aggression is impeccable and the melody is heartbreaking.

Last year we celebrated the 10th edition of the Metal Storm Awards, and earlier this year we observed the Awards' 10th anniversary with its own special competition. Now, finally, the 2014 Awards have come to a close. Countless bands and users alike have come and gone in those years, but the spirit of the Awards has remained the same; as we like to say, it's not about who wins and loses, but about discovering new bands. While this year's Awards had a smaller voter turnout than the previous couple, 2014 still had its fair share of friendly competition. (by BitterCOld)Read more ››

Pyramids' new album is upon us and the band just keeps sharing new tracks. Why complain? And now you can enjoy the new tune "Indigo Birds" from the upcoming album A Northern Meadow over at Noisey. Mark your calendars for a release on March 17th through Profound Lore Records. More importantly, enjoy the music. (by Pazdzioch)Read more ››

Remember the 1982 No Life 'Til Leather demo? And cassettes? Well, Metallica will celebrate this year's "Record Store Day" with the release of an exact duplication of the band's 1982 demo tape as a limited-edition cassette on April 18th. The artwork was made from Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich's own copy and will feature his handwriting. At the time, the group consisted of vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield, lead guitarist Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), bassist Ron McGovney and drummer Ulrich. Some of the songs from this demo became classics of the band and all but "The... (by Bad English)Read more ››

The brand new self-tilted album from Australian technical death metallers Psycroptic can now be streamed in its entirety through the SoundCloud player below. Psycroptic is the band's sixth full-length, which is set to be officially released on March 10th via Prosthetic Records but you can enjoy the album beforehand! Play it loud. (by Pazdzioch)Read more ››

As reported last year, British doomsters My Silent Wake have been working on a new album to be released on House Of Ashes. While the details of their next album are still unknown at this point, the band has a new song titled "Of Fury" online available for your streaming pleasure (or otherwise) below. This year is also their 10th anniversary. Were you impressed by the new song? (by Bad English)Read more ››

Is independent, unsigned, and underground metal what you seek? Weary traveller of the metal world, rest a while here. Clandestine Cuts are the best demos and EPs from these bands, the heart and soul of metal music. These musicians are slaves to their passions, and their blood keeps the metal machine alive and turning. Support them with a simple listen, and discover the future. This issue features music from Liverkick, Astral Blood, Every Hour Kills, Dö, Lo!, & Tellus Effluentia. (by Nefarious, Ilham, Susan, BloodTears)Read more ››

I am usually genuinely surprised when some bands come to revisit my little country in a fairly short while, say a couple of years. For them to be back in just half a year is a pretty significant achievement, especially for something as popular as Amaranthe. Well, the new album has been released between then and now, and maybe not everybody could make it to the show in Haapsalu. Given the warm reception there, it is fairly logical for the band to take to the stage here in such a short while. (by Ivor)Read more ››

It's always great when you toss an unknown CD in your player and end up receiving a blasting experience; this is the first time I ever hear the name Yaotl Mictlan, (a saddening fact because they are very good) when I saw the cover I thought "cool concept" but I was hesitant because the band call themselves "Aztec Black Death Metal", the genre turned-on my "wankery" alert but I still wanted to give these guys a chance. The album starts with an intro wrapped in pre-Hispanic...
(by Herzebeth)Read more ››

Emperor started out as a death metal group in Thou Shalt Suffer. If it wasn't for Euronymous of Mayhem, Emperor would probably be a death metal group today because he's responsible for introducing Emperor to the world of black metal.